Happy Independence Day

[Judy Harder]

Consumed by Lust

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. - Titus 3:4-5

Radio personality Paul Harvey once told of how an Eskimo kills a wolf.  The Eskimo coats his knife with animal blood and lets it freeze.  Another layer of blood is added, then another, until the blade is completely concealed.  The hunter then fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up.  A wolf follows the scent, finds the source, and begins licking.  Aroused by the taste, it licks the blood-covered blade progressively faster and harder.

Amidst the wolf's frenzy, it doesn't notice the eventual sting of the exposed blade on its own tongue, nor that it's now consuming its own warm blood.  The wolf simply craves more–until it falls dead in the snow.

It's a grisly story, but a poignant illustration of how we too stand in danger of being consumed by our own lusts.

"My will was perverse and lust had grown from it; and when I gave in to lust, habit was born; and when I did not resist the habit it became a necessity.  These were the links which together formed what I have called my chain, and it held me fast in the duress of servitude." -St. Augustine (354-430)

[Judy Harder]

Defusing the Anger Trap

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. - Philippians 4:11-12

Would you like to hear one of life's great paradoxes? The more we learn to be satisfied with what we have and stop comparing our financial score card and trophies with those around us, the better we feel about ourselves. In other words, the biblical discipline of learning and practicing contentment shows the myth of "I-Am-What-I-Earn" to be a lie.

Learning to be satisfied is a good indication that we've learned that God is God, and that His fatherly care and infinite wisdom can be trusted.

Furthermore, those who learn to be satisfied and thankful for what they've been given will have more time and energy for the kinds of friendships and relationships that will meet their basic needs and honor God. If you think about it, you'll find that your attitude toward money and possessions either fuels or cools your anger. If you have trouble living within your means, you really have two options: you can push harder to make more, or you can promote an atmosphere of contentment for what you have, and in so doing, relieve the pressure on yourself. 

"Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty." - Socrates (470-399 BC)

[Judy Harder]

Focus on Being

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. - Romans 12:10

How can you begin breaking through the myth of "you-are-what-you-do" and see that your true identity is in Jesus Christ. Once you grasp that, you can begin relating to other people apart from what they do. We must open up our schedules, set aside our Day-Timers, and get to the business of allowing our identity in Christ to liberate and transform our human relationships.

A friend of mine meets each week with a group of four other friends to do what we rarely do. They purposely avoid talking about what they do in order to talk about who they are and how they feel. They're learning to peel away the layers of façade to give and receive the nurture, affirmation, and encouragement they desperately need but are often fearful to seek.

Recently my friend shared a painful issue with his friends. His father lays dying in a nursing home. He's incapacitated. His mind is totally gone. My friend visits him, and helps dress and care for him. What he wants more than anything is to hear these words from his father before he dies: "You're a good child."

Friends can share these painful and vulnerable feelings and offer consolation and encouragement in the group setting as one deals with the pain and loss. There aren't enough people who function together as these five do.

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, to all the people you can." - John Wesley (1703-1791)

[Judy Harder]

Trust
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. - Psalm 62:8

Some people say there are times when we need to forgive God. This implies that God does wrong, which is never true. However, we may find it hard to place faith in God if we're convinced that He's let us down.

God is trustworthy, but we don't always know His mind, His reasons, or His ultimate intentions. We're prone to misinterpreting His actions in our lives.

Friends, our problem with trusting God doesn't stem from His untrustworthiness. It stems from our willful, misplaced determination to stand as judges over God Himself—determining right from wrong, good from bad, and better from best.

Yet one thing remains certain: You can trust God infinitely more than you trust yourself. So surrender to His wisdom, love, and mercy, and stop demanding that He act as we see fit.

"It is impossible to go through life without trust; that is to be imprisoned in the worst cell of all, oneself." -Graham Greene (1904-1991)

[Judy Harder]

God's Grace

But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.'  - Matthew 15:18

A retired pastor, was returning home around midnight when he came upon a motorist covered in oil and red-faced with anger. Upon stopping his car, the pastor asked how he could help.  The man asked for a ride and immediately let loose with a barrage of profanity.  When he finished he asked the pastor what he was doing out so late.  When he told him he was a pastor returning home from some evangelistic meetings, the embarrassed man asked the pastor why he didn't stop him.  The pastor replied, "Your problem isn't your mouth.  It's your heart." And he proceeded to share with the man who Jesus was and what it means to be one of his followers.

Sometime later, when the pastor told this story, he asked, "How else should we have expected him to speak?" adding, "Would it be better for a man to sing hymns all the way to hell?"

Remember, what comes out of your mouth is a reflection of the condition of your heart.

The heart of a good man is the sanctuary of God in this world. -Madame Necker (1766-1841)

[Judy Harder]

Healthy Grieving

But it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. - 2 Timothy 1:10

The flight was headed for Los Angeles, and everything was going smoothly. Then, all of the sudden, a woman jumped to her feet, let out a pained and terrified shriek, and collapsed to her death in the aisle of the aircraft.

Death is always unsettling. But even more so when it's unexpected, and happens in a situation where others feel rather vulnerable themselves—like at 30,000 feet! The emotional intensity in that aircraft was unsettling, to say the least.

Sensing an opportunity to help, a pastor onboard stopped a flight attendant on her way down the aisle. He offered his services to anyone wanting to talk about the tragedy that just transpired. The attendant replied, "Sir, that won't be necessary. We'll be serving free drinks to all passengers."

Are you settling for a drink when Jesus who offers the only water to quench your thirst is available to you? In the quiet of where you are right now, you can ask Him to help you, to come into your heart and life as Lord and Savior. Or he's available to you through your connection with others who are His followers. Don't settle for anything less.

"In the night of death hope sees a star and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
 

[Judy Harder]

Living with Limitations

"If you can?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." - Mark 9:23

It is almost as presumptuous to think you can do nothing as to think you can do everything.  In other words, be honest about your limitations, but don't exaggerate them, or use them as an excuse to keep from being a productive person.

Joni Erikson Tada embodies this truth well.  Paralyzed below the neck as a result of a diving accident, she has ministered to millions through her speaking, singing, and painting (she holds a paintbrush in her mouth!)  What an inspiration she is!

Helen Keller who also embodied this truth expressed such an attitude in this beautiful statement: "I am only one; but still I am one.  I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do."

Be hopeful of a man whose limitations are not yet known; maybe he won't reach them - Unknown

[Judy Harder]

Small Slits Sink Ships

He must become greater; I must become less. - John 3:30

Did you know scientists now believe a series of slits, not a giant gash, sank the Titanic? The supposedly invincible cruise liner went down in 1912 on its first voyage. Fifteen hundred people perished, making it the worst maritime disaster of its time.

Until recently, the most widely held theory was that the ship hit an iceberg, opening a huge gash in the vessel's side. But an international team of divers and scientists has used sound waves to probe the wreckage, buried in the mud under two-and-a-half miles of water. The damage was surprisingly small. Instead of a huge gash, they found only six, relatively narrow, slits across the watertight holds.

Small slits can sink great ships. What are the small slits in your life that might have serious consequences? Is some shoring up in order? If you don't know what exactly needs shoring up, or you do know but don't know how—seek some help—from a friend, your pastor, or a professional counselor.

"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." - Unknown
 

[Judy Harder]

Need of Spiritual Disciplines

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men. - Ephesians 6:7

The word "discipline" tends to put people on the defensive because it's often mistakenly associated with the idea of punishment.  That's unfortunate, and very inaccurate.  The Latin root of the word discipline means student.  That's why Webster's Dictionary defines discipline as "training or experience that corrects, molds, strengthens, or perfects, especially the mental faculties or moral character."  And that's why Jesus calls those who follow Him in faith His disciples.

Through the centuries, Christians have stimulated their life in Christ by practicing what are called "spiritual disciplines."  But as our culture has increasingly lost the ability to be informed by its past, and as society grows ever more permissive and lax, the "spiritual disciplines" have been forsaken and almost forgotten.

I'm talking about daily Bible reading—alone in a time of devotion, and together with your family. Concentrated, intentional, and regular time of prayer, alone and with fellow believers.  Taking time to care for the sick, the widows and the orphans.  Serving our neighbors in need as a response to Christ's love for us.

Consider adding one Spiritual discipline to your life this week.

"The best servant does his work unseen." - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809-1894)

[Judy Harder]

The More the Better

Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control. - Proverbs 25:28

Webster's Dictionary defines the word "excess" as "Action that goes beyond a reasonable limit. An amount greater than is necessary."  If you live in the United States, this concept isn't very difficult to grasp.  Our new American motto seems to be "the more, the better"—no matter what it's more of.  Listen to these statistics:

-          Obesity, time spent watching television, and consumer credit debt are at all-time highs.
-          About one in five Americans has a sexually transmitted disease.
-          Addictions now affect over 30 percent of American families.
-          There were over 1.5 million personal bankruptcies filed last year.
-          The average American household wields more than16 credit cards, and carries credit-card balances of almost $9,000 per household.
-          There are now more registered cars on our roads than there are licensed drivers.

Jesus said he came that we might have an abundant life, not an excessive life. There is a difference!

"Where there is too much, something is missing." - Jewish saying